Film fire-screen.



D. B. KERSHAW.

FILM FIRE SUB-BEN.

APPLIOATIO! FILED In. 25, 1011.

1,022,320. I Patented Apr. 2, 1912.

WITNESSES INVENTOI? Dom/m6. MAW/1d,,

t I I a a; ATTORNEYS gear wheel 16.

UNITED STATES PATEN T @FFICE.

DOUGLASS BERRY KEIRSHAW, O1? LYNGHB'UHG, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR TO PATRICK HENRY CASEY, OF LYNGHBURG, VIRGINIA.

FTLM FIRE-SCREEN.

Application filed March 25, 1911.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 2, 1912. Serial No. 618,819.

1 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Doncnass Bnnnv KER- straw, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Lynchburg, in the county of Campbell, State of Virginia, have invented a new and useful Improvemeut'in Film Fire- Screens, of which the following is a specification.

-My invention is an improvement in film fire screens, and consists in certain novel constructions and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The object of the invention is to provide a screen for protecting the films in lllllGl'llilliO graph apparatus from lire in case of brealn age of the film while the apparatus is in use.

Referring to the drawing forming a part hereof: Figure 1 is a side view of a part of an apparatus of the character specified provided with the improvement, Fig. 2 is a rear view of the'same and Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of the governor.

In the drawing the lrinetoscopc frame 1 is provided with an'opening' 2 through which the pictures on the film 3 are 1)I()]Cl0{l by means of the usual lighting device (not shown) arranged on the opposite side of: the

lm from the opening. he film is supported by a pair of rollers 4e and 5 above the opening, and by a sprocket reel 6 below the opening. A plate 7, having an opening 8 registering with the opening 2, is supported on the kinetoscope frame, by means of 9 on the plate which rest against brackets 10 on the framev The shaft ll of the roller l is supported in bearings 12 on the plate 7, and provided with a wheel. outside of the bearings. T he reel (l is secured to a shaft 14! journaled in bearings 15, and at one end the said shaft is provided with a The opposite end of the shaft 14 is provided with a pulley 17 The screen 18 is of approximately pear or fan shape and is pivoted at its small end on a. journal pin 19 on the door frame 20, which closes against the rear face of the film and holdsit flat against the plate 7. so that the plane of the picture on the film at this point is exactly parallel with the projecting screen. The screen is provided with a bearing 21 for receiving the pin 19, anf i. held in place on the pin 19 by a cotter pin An arm :23 extends downwardly and or... vardlv 110311 the small end of the screen, the arm being an ranged at an angle with respect to the long axis of the screen. A counterbalance in the form of a weight 24k is slidablc on the arm and held in adjusted position by a set screw 25.

A governor is mounted on a shaft 26 journaled in a bearing bracket 26 at one side and perpendicular to the plane of the screen. The governor comprises a sleeve 27 secured to the shaft by a pin 28, and a sleeve 29 slidable on the shaft. and. connected to the fixed sle ve by spring plates 30, each of which has a ball weight 31 secured to its center. A disk 82 is secured to the sleeve 29 at its rear end and the disk is concentric with the sleeve.

The shaft 26 is provided with a beveled pinion 39, meshing witha bcvel- \whc'el 40 on the shaft ell, journalcd in bearings 42 on the frame, and the said shaft is provided with a sprocket or toothed reel 43 for engaging the film. It will be understood that the teeth or sprocket points of the reels 6 and 43 engage the usual. perforations 44 in the side edges of the film.

lVith the above described construction, the film operates the governor. after the said film has passed over the projecting opening.

One face of the dish 32,-hcfore mentioned. is engaged by a roller or wheel 44 journaled on one of th arms 45 of a rock shaft 46. h avincvanother arm 47 connected by a link 48, with a lateral lug 49 on the screen 18. The

rock shaft is supported by pointed set screws 50, threaded through the arms of a yoke shaped bracket 52 on the frame. the pointed inner ends of'the screws engaging recesses in the ends of the shaft. The mounting of the rock sl'iaft is thus very delicate so that it will answer readily to changes in the governor. It will be evident that when the ball weights 31 constrain the sleeve 99 to move toward the sleeve 2'7. the disk will also be moved, and the rock shaft will be oscillated. in a direction to release the pull on the screen 18, so that the counterbalance 23 may move the said screen away from over the projectinn opening.

In operation the film is driven bv the usual means engaging the wheels 13 and 16. The film is held against the plate 7 by means of rollers. one of which 3 is indicated by dottedlinesin Fig. 1. The counterbalance 23 acts normallv to move the screen "awav from over the opening. but the action of the said counterbalance is counteracted by the pull of the rocltshaft on the link. and

the said pull is maintained by the spring arms upon which the ball weights are mounted. As long as the film moves, the governor will be operated, and the disk 32 will be moved to release the pressure on the rock shaft 46, so that the counterbalance may move the screen into inoperative position. Should however, for any reason, the film cease to move, as for instance, through breakage of the film, the pull on the link 48 will be released, and the screen will be permitted to swing into active position overthe film, thus protecting it from undue heat, and danger of fire.

As is well known, the films used in apparatus of the character in question are very inflammable, and since the illuminating device must be of high power, the film will almost certainly be ignited should the rays of light act-upon any port-ion thereof for any great length of time. With the improvement in place any accident to the kinetoscope that will stop the film will cause the mechanism to interpose the screen between the film and the light to shield the film from the direct rays, so that it cannot become overheated. It will be evident that the governor acts normally to move the screen out of protective position.

I claim 1. In combination with a kinetoscope and the film moved thereby, of a screen pivoted adjacent to the film and between the film and the source of light and mounted to swing over and away from over the film, an arm extending from the screen on the opposite side from its pivotal mounting, a weight slidable on the arm, means for holding the weight in adjusted position, a rock shaft having radial arms arranged at an angle to each other journaled adjacent to the screen, a link connecting one of the arms to the screen on the opposite'side of the pivotal mounting from the weighted arm, a roller over which the film passes and rotated by the passage of the film, a governor shaft, a driving connection between the said shaft and the roller, a governor on the shaft, said governor comprising acollar fixed to the shaft, and a sleeve movable longitudinally of the shaft, spring plates connecting the sleeve and the collar, a weight connected with the center of each plate, and a disk connected with the sleeve and bearing against the other arm of the rock shaft, the governor when in normal position holding the screen over the film.

2. In combination with a kinetoscope and the film moved thereby, of a screen pivoted adjacent to the film and between the fihn and the source of light and mounted to swing over and away from over the film, a rock shaft having radial arms journaled adjacent to the screen, a link connecting one arm of the shaft to thescreen, a roller over which the film passes and rotated by the said film, a governor shaft, a driving connection between the said shaft and the roller, a governor on the shaft, said governor comprising a collar fixed to the shaft, and a sleeve movable longitudinally thereof, spring plates connecting the sleeve and the collar, a weight connected with the center of each plate, a disk connected with the sleeve and bearing against the other arm of the rock shaft and normally holding the screen over the fihn, and means on the other side of the screen from its pivotal connection for moving the same away from over the film when the governor is in operation.

3. In combination with a kinetoscope and the film moved thereby, of a screen pivoted adjacent to the film and between the film and the source of light and mounted toswing over and away from over the film, a rock shaft journaled adjacent to the screen, a link connecting one arm of the shaft to the screen, a roller over which the film passes and rotated by the said film, a governor shaft, a driving connection between the said shaft and the roller, a governor on the shaft, said governor comprising a collar fixed to the shaft,a sleeve movable longitudinally thereof, spring plates connecting the sleeve and the collar, a weight connected with each plate, and a disk connected with the sleeve and bearing against theother arm of the rock shaft and normally holding the screen over the film when the governor is inoperative.

4. In combination with a kinetoscope and the film moved thereby, of a screen pivoted adjacent to the film and between the film and the source of light and mounted to swing over and away from over the film, a rock shaft j ournaled adjacent to the screen, a link connecting one arm of the shaft to the screen, a roller over which the film passes and rotated by the said film, a governor shaft, a driving connection between the said shaft and the roller, a governor on the shaft, a disk slidable on the shaft and operated by the governor, said disk bearing against the other arm of the rock shaft, and normally holding the screen over the film when the governor is inoperative, and a weight connected with the screen and adjustable toward and from the same for moving the screen away from the film.

5. In combination-with a kinetoscope and the film operated thereby, of a screen mounted adjacent to the film for swinging movement over and away from over the film between said film and the source of light, a rock shaft journaled adjacent to the screen, a connection between one arm of the shaft and the screen, a roller over which the film passes and rotated by the film, a governor shaft, .a driving connection between the shaft and the roller, a governor on the shaft,

a disk slidable on the shaft and bearin against the other arm of the rock shaft and normally holding the screen over the film when the governoris inoperative, and a counterbalance acting normally to swing the screen away from over the film.

6. In combination with a kinetoscope and the film operated thereby, of a screen mounted adjacent to the film for swinging movement over and away from over the film between said film and the source of light, a rock shaft journaled adjacent to the screen, a connection between one arm of the shaft and the screen, a roller over which the film passes and rotated by the film, a governor shaft, a driving connection between the shaft and the roller, a governor on the shaft, and a connection between the governor and the other arm of the rock shaft for operating the said shaft, and normally holding the screen over the film when the governor is inoperative, and a counterbalance acting normally to swing the screen away from over the film.

7: In combination with a kinetoscope and the film. operated thereby, of .a screen mounted adjacent to the film for swinging movement over and away from between said film and the source of light, a rock shaft journaled adjacent to the screen, a connection between one arm of the shaft and the screen, a roller over which the film passes and rotated by the film, a governor driven by the roller, a connection between the governor and the other arm of the shaft and normally holding the screen over the film when the governor is inoperative, and

a counterbalance acting normally to swing the screen away from over the film.

8. In combination wit-h a kinetoscope and the film operated thereby, of a screen mounted adjacent to the film for swinging movement over and away from over the film between the said film and the source of light, a counterbalance acting normally to swing the screen away from over the film, a roller over the filmover which the film passes and driven thereby, a rock shaft journaled adjacent to the roller, a connection between one arm of the shaft and the screen, a governor driven by the roller,'-and means operated by the governor for holding the rock shaft in position to retain the screen overtheifilm.

9. In combination with a kinetoscope and the film operated thereby, of a screen mounted adjacent to the film for swinging movement over and away from over the film between the said film and the source of light, a counterbalance acting normally to swing the screen away from over the film, a roller over which the film passes and driven thereby, a rock shaft journaled adjacent to the roller, a connection bet-ween one arm of the and means operated by roller for holding the retain the screen over shaft and the screen, the rotation of the shaft in position to the film.

10. In combination with a kinetoscope and the film operated thereby, of a screen mounted adjacent to the film for swinging movement over and away from over the film between the film and the source of light, a counterbalance acting normally to swingthe screen away from over the film, a roller driven by the passage of the film, a governor driven by the roller, and means operated by the governor when in inoperative position for holding the screen over the film.

11. In combination with a kinetoscope and the film operated thereby, of a screen mounted adjacent to the film for swinging movement over and away from over the film, means acting normally to swing the screen away from over the film, a roller I driven by the passage of the film, means for moving the screen over the film, and means operated by the movement of the roller for restraining the action of the said means, DOUGLA SS BERRY KERSHAVV.- WVitnesses JNO. G. Harman, ELLA A. Ronns.

Washin ton, 11. c. 

